Ask the Butcher

06/09/2026

#14 – My Father

On Father’s Day, this moment belongs to one man.

My father, Vic.

Dad was born in Makarska on the Dalmatian coast on 9 August 1951, the youngest of seven children born to Mate & Ljulja Puharic.

As a boy, he loved water polo and was good enough to play at Yugoslav youth level.

Then in 1969, at just 18, he boarded a ship for Australia.

The plan was simple. Get off in Perth, work in the Kalgoorlie mines, make some money and eventually return home.

Except Dad somehow forgot to get off the boat.

He ended up in Sydney.

And thank God he did.

He settled in Mona Vale, became a lifelong Manly Sea Eagles supporter, met my beautiful mother Stephanie, married her in 1973 and together they raised three children – me and my younger twin sisters.

Today he is the incredibly proud grandfather of five.

He loves fishing, football, bocce and, above almost everything else, his family.

Then there is butchery.

Dad is a fourth-generation butcher. His craft isn’t simply what he does. It is who he is.

In my completely biased but humble opinion, he is the greatest butcher I have ever seen.

People can debate me on that.

But there is something I will never debate.

He is the greatest human being I have ever known.

For 30 years we have built Vic’s side by side.

He has been my role model, mentor, business partner and best friend.

But Dad’s greatest lessons were never spoken.

Humility. Integrity. Loyalty. Generosity. Hard work. Family.

He taught me all of them simply by the way he lived his life.

When I look at Vic’s today, I see Dad everywhere.

His name is above the door.

His values are in everything beneath it.

If Dad had remembered to get off that boat in Perth, my life might look very different.

In fact, I probably wouldn’t be here at all.

Dad, I hope I’ve made you proud.

Because I couldn’t be prouder to be your son.

Happy Father’s Day.

I love you, Dad.

30 years. 30 moments.

06/09/2026

#14 – My Father

On Father’s Day, this moment belongs to one man.

My father, Vic.

Dad was born in Makarska on the Dalmatian coast on 9 August 1951, the youngest of seven children born to Mate & Ljulja Puharic.

As a boy, he loved water polo and was good enough to play at Yugoslav youth level.

Then in 1969, at just 18, he boarded a ship for Australia.

The plan was simple. Get off in Perth, work in the Kalgoorlie mines, make some money and eventually return home.

Except Dad somehow forgot to get off the boat.

He ended up in Sydney.

And thank God he did.

He settled in Mona Vale, became a lifelong Manly Sea Eagles supporter, met my beautiful mother Stephanie, married her in 1973 and together they raised three children – me and my younger twin sisters.

Today he is the incredibly proud grandfather of five.

He loves fishing, football, bocce and, above almost everything else, his family.

Then there is butchery.

Dad is a fourth generation butcher. His craft isn’t simply what he does. It is who he is.

In my completely biased but humble opinion, he is the greatest butcher I have ever seen.

People can debate me on that.

But there is something I will never debate.

He is the greatest human being I have ever known.

For 30 years we have built Vic’s side by side.

He has been my role model, mentor, business partner and best friend.

But Dad’s greatest lessons were never spoken.

Humility. Integrity. Loyalty. Generosity. Hard work. Family.

He taught me all of them simply by the way he lived his life.

When I look at Vic’s today, I see Dad everywhere.

His name is above the door.

His values are in everything beneath it.

If Dad had remembered to get off that boat in Perth, my life might look very different.

In fact, I probably wouldn’t be here at all.

Dad, I hope I’ve made you proud.

Because I couldn’t be prouder to be your son.

Happy Father’s Day.

I love you, Dad.

30 years. 30 moments.

25/06/2026

Today is Anthony Bourdain Day.

It would have been Tony’s 70th birthday.

In 2019, his close friends Eric Ripert and José Andrés established Anthony Bourdain Day as a way to honour his life, his legacy and the impact he had on so many people around the world.

The day encourages people to celebrate Tony the way he would have wanted - by eating at local restaurants, trying new foods, embracing new experiences and raising a glass in his memory.

While he may be gone, we can still honour his legacy by taking onboard this little gem of advice from him.

As Tony once said:

“Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride.”

Happy Birthday, Tony.

The world feels a little less interesting without you in it.

08/06/2026

I miss this man.

It’s been 8 years to this exact moment that the world lost a truly special and unique individual.

I knew Tony. He was a friend and a beautiful man.

What made Anthony Bourdain so special wasn’t just his love of food, travel or storytelling. It was his genuine curiosity about people. He had an extraordinary ability to connect with anyone, regardless of their background, beliefs or circumstances. He made people feel seen, heard and valued.

Tony taught us that food is far more than what is on a plate. It is culture, history, family, community and humanity. Through his travels, he encouraged us to be curious, to embrace differences, to seek understanding and to venture beyond our comfort zones.

The world feels a little less interesting without him in it.

Thank you for the adventures, the conversations, the laughs and the inspiration.

Love you, Tony ❤️

17/05/2026

This year marks 30 years since my father and I began our family business together.

It’s hard to put into words the pride I feel when I look back at what we’ve built — not just as a company, but as a family.

What started with a shared belief in hard work, integrity and the craft of butchery has grown into something far greater than we could ever have imagined.

Along the way, we’ve been supported by the most incredible people — our team members past and present, our loyal suppliers, the wider industry and, most importantly, our customers. Your belief in us has allowed us to keep pushing, keep evolving and keep striving for better.

I reminisce often about those early, formative years — the long days, the uncertainty, the raw ambition and the relentless commitment to doing things properly. They shaped who we are.

But I’m equally excited about who we’ve become. Today, we stand as one of the most innovative and dynamic, multi-faceted meat businesses in the world, operating across wholesale, retail and online — and still grounded in the same pride for the craft that started it all.

We never chose the easy road. We chose the road that backed our vision. We chose to protect the integrity of what we do.

Over 30 years there have been many successes and, yes, failures too — but those failures taught us, strengthened us and helped us grow.

Business, like life, is never linear. And above all, I want to give a huge shout out to the most beautiful and greatest human being I have ever met — my father. None of this would have been possible without him. His character, courage and values are the foundation of everything we have built. Honouring his legacy will remain one of my life’s greatest responsibilities and privileges.

As the saying goes, I haven’t come this far to merely come this far.

The best is still ahead.

Thank you all for your ongoing support. You will never truly understand how much it has met to my family and me 🙏🏼❤️👊🏼

19/01/2026

Some friendships are simply meant to be.

20 years of shared history. Desert drives from LA to Vegas. Late nights, big laughs, and more long conversations than we could ever count.

What began as a friendship has naturally grown into something even more special — a true partnership. From a conversation over lunch, to a cheeky peck on the cheek 3 years ago, and now the moment I get to officially welcome the ultra-talented (and my dear friend) Monty Koludrovic to the Victor Churchill family.

I couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead as we step into this next chapter together. The future is bright, the energy is high, and this is only the beginning.

Let the fun begin 🙏👊🏼❤️

01/12/2025